The winning feeling did not cease for the volleyball team after its Atlantic Coast Conference victory over Wake Forest on Tuesday. On Wednesday night Duke traveled to UNC-Greensboro (13-12, 7-4 in the Southern Conference) where they overpowered the Spartans in a clean sweep, 15-4, 15-9, 15-12.
While the win does not affect the Blue Devils' 7-4 ACC record, it still had many positive aspects for them. First of all, their overall record improved to 12-12. The victory also built a stronger sense of confidence for Duke as it enters the last half of its season.
"Non-ACC games are important in terms of building momentum," said coach Linda Grensing. "They are also good because it is a nice mid-ACC break in our schedule."
Sophomore Jami Ediger added to the win with a total of 16 kills and a .467 hitting average. Senior Kristen Campbell chipped in with 10 digs and 47 assists.
"Jami did an exceptional job with kills in tonight's game and Kristen had some great setting choices," Grensing said.
Even though the Blue Devils won the first two games of the match, the Spartans did not give up so readily.
In the third game, UNC-Greensboro led 12-9, but it ran out of substitutes and gave up the next six points, resulting in a Duke victory.
While the Spartans' downfall was their lack of depth, the opposite held true for the Blue Devils in the third game. Duke was able to take advantage of its 2-0 lead and play several reserves in the last game.
"In game three, we tried using different players and they did a great job," Grensing said.
Blue Devil sophomore Dominique Phillipp recorded eight kills and a hitting percentage of .444 in the match. For the Spartans, Kelly Boerstler had 10 digs and a hitting average of .364, and Becky Moore added 13 kills and eight digs.
The Blue Devils still have another non-conference game against Mercer on Sunday before getting back to the conference line-up next week versus N.C. State and North Carolina. Grensing feels confident that Duke is ready to take on Mercer after its outstanding showing against UNC-Greensboro.
"We're definitely ready to take on Mercer," Grensing said. "We need to work hard in order to gain their respect on the court."
The two teams meet on Sunday in Cameron Indoor Stadium at 2 p.m.
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